At UFC 304, the MMA world was left stunned as Belal Muhammad not only dethroned Leon Edwards but dominated him in a way that bordered on a beating. Edwards, who hadn’t tasted defeat in nine years, was overwhelmed by Muhammad’s relentless takedowns, suffocating wrestling, and punishing strikes. It wasn’t just a win—it was a statement. Now, a year removed from that unforgettable night, “Remember the Name” is gearing up for his first title defense against Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 315. And if you ask Khabib Nurmagomedov, there’s no one in the game who can match Muhammad’s cardio.
Belal Muhammad’s UFC 304 victory was such that welterweight contender and ex-opponent Stephen Thompson emphasized how thoroughly impressed he was by ‘Remember The Name’s cardio:“I have never seen a cardio or a gas tank on anybody like I did Belal Muhammad that night.” A year later, the cardio debate has reignited once again, with Khabib Nurmagomedov naming ‘Remember The Name’ as the one to retain the title next month at UFC 315, even suggesting that he might have the best cardio in the game, “I think it will be very hard to beat Belal if you don’t put him to sleep.”
He further added, “If Maddalena or Shavkat don’t finish him early, Belal is just going to keep pressing and pressing for all 25 minutes. He will force his fight on them — that’s just his style. He constantly moves forward: wrestles, punches, wrestles, punches. His endurance is really good. In fact, I think it’s the most underrated aspect in MMA today. Belal’s cardio is the best in the division for sure, and maybe even all of the UFC.”
‘Remember The Name’ does have a wrestling background. The welterweight champion started his wrestling endeavor back when he was in high school at Bogan in Chicago under coach Louis Taylor, who later became the PFL champion. To be coached under Taylor was life-changing for him. Muhammad’s fighting style is a unique combination of boxing and smart takedowns. He often capitalizes on wrestling to neutralize any threats. Well, his amazing wrestling skills can also be attributed to Khabib Nurmagomedov, who trained him.
Belal Muhammad is currently riding a 10-fight winning streak, with only one of those victories coming by way of knockout — against Sean Brady. Khabib Nurmagomedov has formed a belief in his friend, however, the fans might beg to differ on the cardio aspect because Merab Dvalishvili exists.
Khabib Nurmagomedov’s best cardio debate for Belal Muhammad faces strong opposition
The welterweight division is filled with killers such as Kamaru Usman, Leon Edwards, Sean Brady, Shavkat Rakhmonov, and Jack Della Maddalena. However, none of them have as much cardio as Belal Muhammad, or so claims Khabib. His game plan to tire his opponent before increasing the pace has always worked for him. However, does he have the best cardio in the game? Well, according to a fan, as long as Merab Dvalishvili exists, the cardio throne should be his: “Belal has amazing cardio for the welterweight division and above but merab has the best cardio of all time across all divisions.”
Dagestani wrestling changed the dynamics of the game. The emergence of Khabib Nurmagomedov in the UFC back in 2012 made everyone aware of the class wrestling of Dagestan. However, we have seen ‘The Eagle’ slowing down a bit in the later rounds, but that was not the case for Dvalishvili, at least for now. Looking at this, a fan wrote, “In mma, I don’t think so. Even Khabib slowed down a bit in some of his fights, but Merab never does. In all of combat sport, the one I can think of is Muhammad Ali. The way he managed to stay so active and mobile during his 14 rounds slaughter against Frazier was inhuman.”
Umar Nurmagomedov was a fan favorite to win against Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 311, but ‘The Machine’ had other plans. Not only did the Georgian-Spanish fighter breach the Dagetsani wall that night, but he also made sure to find flaws in the Nurmagomedov game and his cardio. A fan emphasized that ‘The Eagle’ might not have paid attention to that fight, and yes, it was sarcasm: “He clearly didn’t pay attention during Merab vs Umar.” Similar sentiments followed suit in comments like “That title belongs to Merab.” and “Merab not just now but best in mma history lol.”
Furthermore, another fan added, “I think Belal has good cardio. Can’t say whether it is better than Merab’s or not. His takedowns were explosive against Leon which needed a lot of energy. The guy was slamming Leon.”
Jack Della Maddalena is locked in on taking the belt, but will his game plan be effective against Belal Muhammad? What are your thoughts on the matchup and on Khabib’s comments? State your opinion in the comments below.
The post UFC Community Split on Khabib Nurmagomedov’s ‘Best Cardio’ Debate as Belal Muhammad Faces Strong Opposition appeared first on EssentiallySports.